25.01.2017 / BY HAYLEY PARONISH
Expressing his eagerness to expand into the growing area of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, Steve Czop gives us a look into his current position as Medical Affairs Officer at Burst Biologics. Having studied pharmacy for ten years, Steve believes that our culture of excellence at Burst Biologics is what ultimately drew him here.
Steve spoke of current projects, the foundation Burst Biologics is laying, and what has been the most impactful for him thus far. It was apparent by the end of the interview that Steve will play an essential role in the success of our company.
Where are you from?
Steve – I grew up in New Jersey but just recently moved to Tampa, Florida to get away from the cold weather.
What is your educational background?
Steve – I have a B.S in Pharmacy from Rutgers College of Pharmacy. I was a practicing registered pharmacist for about 10 years and then decided to go in a different direction.
What is your past work experience before starting your role at Burst Biologics?
Steve — I learned most of everything I do now through my work at several different companies. I started out with a company called EBI, which was part of Biomet at the time. My career at Biomet lasted 13 years, and during that time I started out at the bottom as a clinical research assistant and worked my way up to senior clinical research associate. I took on regulatory responsibilities while learning about medical writing. I obtained my regulatory submissions experience during the down times in clinical research functions.
I, then, moved to Redmond, Washington, where I joined a start-up company. The excitement it brought me to bring new technology onto the market was something I couldn’t pass up. At this company we developed a facet joint replacement, obtained IDE approval fairly quickly, and initiated a multicenter clinical trial. Unfortunately, the economy downturned, the field of motion preservation shifted a bit, and the company failed, despite the work of a lot of dedicated and talented people. However, it was a great experience for me and a good opportunity to learn and grow.
Immediately after Redmond I moved back to New Jersey to work for my second startup ApaTech. ApaTech was a fabricator of a synthetic bone graft, Actifuse, that had some uncommon properties that were very unique. My job at ApaTech was to establish a clinical portfolio as well as fulfill a range of regulatory functions. We had 5 peer review papers in the time I was there. When the company was sold to Baxter, I continued there from 2010 to 2016. I worked with the ApaTech product in addition to supporting other products in their portfolio as a Senior Manager in Medical Affairs.
